Fire hydrant protector plate



Jan. 11, 1955 J. UCCIARDI 2,699,176

FIRE HYDRANT PROTECTOR PLATE Filed NOV. 18, 1952 22$ INVENTOR 1 6 A BY MW,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent FIRE HYDRANT PROTECTOR PLATE Joseph Ucciardi, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 18, 1952, Serial No. 321,250

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-296) The present invention provides improvements in means for protecting fire hydrants against unauthorized operation or tampering, it being not infrequent that unauthorized individuals are able, through the use of wrenches of various types to remove the caps customarily covering the discharge outlets for the hydrants and even to turn on the water supply thereto, resulting in waste of the water, flooding of streets, impedance in the use of the hydrant for the intended purpose of supplying water for fire fighting operation.

One of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of means for preventing the removal of the hydrant nozzle caps by unauthorized persons and their action in stufling the nozzles with bottles, cans and other refuse, with or without replacing the caps, thereby hindering the ready connection of hose lines, in response to fire alarms, and also likely to disastrously prevent the free flow of water from one or both of the nozzles.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a covering plate which is locked over the top of a fire hydrant, and which permits access to the watersupply valve of the hydrant only by removing a single locking nut by the use of a standard fire hydrant wrench or tool in the possession of only authorized individuals.

A further object of the invention is to provide means which preferably are parts of the covering or cover plate, for projecting over the caps of the hydrant nozzle outlets for obstructing access to the said caps for preventing their removal as long as said plate is in place covering the hydrant and the valve-actuating means thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a protector plate for preventing unauthorized access to fire hydrants as aforesaid, which plate is provided with a single locking means, release of which permits shifting of the plate from its hydrant covering position to a position enabling unobstructed access to the hydrant without requiring complete removal of the plate from the hydrant.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view showing the hydrant in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation facing one of the nozzle caps of the hydrant.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a conventional fire hydrant is designated at A, which hydrant is supplied with water through a standpipe B, and which has the usual discharge nozzle or outlets C. These outlets C normally are closed by closure caps 1, threaded thereon, the caps 1 being removable from the nozzles C by a wrench or other suitable operating tool applied to nuts 2 which are integral with the caps 1 and which are provided for enabling the caps to be screwed and unscrewed relative to the outlets C.

The standpipe B has a lateral flange or collar 3 ad a cent to its upper end which mates with a flange 4 on the bottom of the hydrant A and which is integral therewith. The flange collar 3 and the flange 4 are provided with registering holes 5 extending completely therethrough for receiving eye bolts 6, the lower ends of which are threaded as indicated at 7 for reception of the lock nuts 8 and 9, the former of which engages the flange 3 on its under side and the latter of which engages the upper surface of flange 4 for mountlng eye bolts 6 per- 2,699,176 Patented Jan. 11, 1955 'ice manently to the hydrant A, with their shanks and substantially circular eye loops 10 on their upper ends substantially mutually parallel.

These eye loops 10 receive a steel plate 11 which ex- 5 tends over the top of the hydrant A, this plate 11 being permanently mounted in the eye loops 10, inserted through holes 12 in the plate, the eye loops 10 being large enough to comprise hinge mountings for the plate 11 on which this plate 11 may be turned upwardly and rearwardly to non-covering position from its normal horizontal covering position for the hydrant A. The holes 12 for the reception of the eye loops 10 are positioned adjacent to corresponding rear corners of the plate 11. The plate 11 is provided with a central opening 13 surrounded by an upstanding collar 14 and is aligned with the water supply valve stem of the hydrant A.

When the plate 11 is in covering position over the hydrant A, corresponding front corners of the plate are in vertical axial alignment with the cover caps 1 of the hydrant nozzle outlets, these corners having Welded thereto depending steel cap guard angle flange members 15 which extend downwardly in front of the caps 1 sufficiently close thereto to prevent release thereof from the outlets while the cover plate 11 is in covering position for the hydrant A, so that even if the caps 1 be turned by a wrench applied to the nuts 2 there is insufficient clearance between the caps 1 and the cap guard members 15 to permit the caps 1 to be removed from their closing position over the hydrant outlets C.

The cover plate 11 for the hydrant is provided with an opening 16 extending through the plate adjacent to the front edge thereof intermediate the depending cap guard members 15, this opening 16 being in an annular collar 17 welded to the underside of the cover plate 11, as indicated at 13. To the under end of this collar 17 is welded, as indicated at 19, an annular plate 20 having a hole 21 extending therethrough for passage of a locking bolt 23, the upper head end 24 of which seats on the top surface 22 of said plate. This bolt 23 is threaded adjacent to its lower end as indicated at 24, and which is received in countersunk hole 25 which is internally threaded complementarily to the threads 24' and which extends only partially through the bottom flange 4 of the hydrant A.

It will be seen therefore, that the head 24 of the bolt 23 is seated below the plate 11 and the shank portion of the bolt 23 is enclosed in a pipe sleeve 26 which has its upper end welded to the top plate 20 and is releasably locked to the bottom flange 4 of the hydrant by the binding engagement of the bolt head 24 against the plate 20 and the engagement of the threaded end 24' of the bolt with the internal threads of the countersunk hole 25 in the bottom hydrant flange 4. The plate 11 therefore has its forward portions mounted on this bottom flange 4 through the pipe sleeve 26, the said top plate 20 on the sleeve 26, the collar 17 which is welded both to the sleeve 26 and to the underside of the plate 11, while this plate 11 is secured in its covering position by the bolt 23 to which operative access can be had only by application of an authorized tool to the bolt head 24 for unscrewing the bolt from the said hole 25, when the bolt 23 is thus unscrewed from the said opening 25, the plate 11 may be turned upwardly and backwardly on the eye loops 10 as hinges until the plate 11 and the corner cap guard angle flanges 15 uncover the hydrant A and the nozzle caps 1 to enable access to be had to caps 1 for removal thereof. The plate 11 obviously carries the depending collar 17, the plate 20 and its abutting pipe sleeve 26, all of which are welded together as above stated. The plate 11 when in covering position covers the top of the hydrant and the cap guards 15 which are welded to the cover plate 11 at the forward corners thereof and extend downwardly in front of the nozzle caps 1 to prevent unauthorized access thereto for unauthorized removal thereof. The bolt 23 which is operated by a socket wrench in the hands of an authorized individual constitutes the locking means for securing the plate 11 and the various elements welded to the plate in covering position, unscrewing the bolt 23 from the opening 25 in flange 4 releases the plate for upward and backward movement on the loops 10 as hinges for the plate 11.

The accompanying drawings show the present improved protecting means applied to a fire hydrant having an encircling bottom flange, an approximately domeshaped covering housing, a water supply pipe entering the hydrant from the bottom thereof, a control valve for the supply pipe having a valve-actuated stern extending through the top of the housing, outlet nozzles communicating with the supply pipe, and closure caps for the nozzles mounted thereon normally closing said nozzles. However the improved protecting means are not limited to the protection of such specialized type of hydrant for preventing unauthorized access to the hydrant, but it will be apparent that the improved protection means may be adapted readily to any given type of fire hydrant without departing from the inventive concept, and with only minor changes in structural details. Accordingly, it will be understood that it is intended and desired to embrace within the scope of this invention such modifications in structural details which may be necessary to adapt the construction to such varying conditions and uses as defined by the appended claims.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a protective means for preventing unauthorized removal of the nozzle caps of a fire hydrant comprising a cover plate structure hingedly mounted on a pair of eye bolt standards, substituted for a pair of the bolts and mounted in the aligned openings in the engageable flanges of the hydrant and stand pipe, and means carried by said cover plate normally obstructably extending in front of the nozzle caps, and means for lockingly supporting the free portion of said cover plate, yet simple in construction, manufacturable at a minimum of cost and eflicient for the purpose intended.

Although in practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that conditions concurrent with the adoption of my invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. Protection means for a fire hydrant including outlet nozzles provided with removable caps normally closing the nozzles, a cover plate extending above the hydrant but closely spaced therefrom, hinged instrumentalities for the cover plate permanently mounted on the hydrant, a locking bolt for the cover plate also mounted on the hydrant and releasably securing the cover plate in substantially horizontal covering position above the hydrant, depending members secured to the cover plate and adapted to extend in front of the nozzle caps, said depending members obstructing unauthorized access to the nozzle caps when the cover plate is in covering position relative to the hydrant, While permitting access to said caps responsively to the cover plate being shifted to uncovering position relative to the hydrant, an actuating member for the locking bolt below the cover plate, and sleeve means enclosing the locking bolt for preventing unauthorized access to and damage to the locking bolt.

2. Protection means for a fire hydrant for preventing unauthorized access to the hydrant, the hydrant having an encircling bottom flange, a covering housing, a water su l i e having a flanged end in connection with said bo ft fhr h fl ange, control valve means for controlling flow of water through the supply pipe, a valve acltuating means, outlet nozzles communicating with the supp y pig, and closure caps mounted on and normally closing it; said nozzles, the said protection means comprising a pal of spaced vertically extending hinge bolts permanfn dy mounted in the bottom flange of the hy drant,band 121x ennt ing substantially parallel to a he ght above u t at acein to the top of the hydrant housing and terminelr itngf r similar parallel extending eye loops, a cover pha e vgr the hydrant hingedly received in the eye loops, t e co nd plate extending above the top of the hydrant houisirgg ath beyond the nozzle caps, angle memberscarne 3f! the cover plate and extending downwardly in front 0 e nozzle caps, the said depending portions defimnga narrow clearance relative to the nozzle caps for preventing acfess to the caps while the cover plate is in covering plplsi fon relative to the hydrant, and a locking bolt assem y or the cover plate including a collar secured to tle coygr plate on the underside thereof, a platesecure to e collar and having an open ng corresponding to the oplening through the collar, a pipe sleeve secured to the (cio atr plate and extending to the bottom flange of the hy rand, and a locking bolt having a lower end threadedly receivie1 in a complementarily internally threaded iecessdnfr1 t e bottom flange of the hydrant and an upper end de hnincg1 an operating head for the locking bolt, the sat dea being seated below the coverplate with the bolt exten ing through the pipe sleeve, which sleeve supports thehcoi/ler plate in substantially horlzontal position above t eh yd drant while locked by the locking bolt, the operating bea for the bolt being accessible for operatio only y a fitting socket wrench inserted into the collar 1n operaiit ve engagement with the bolt head, retraction of the log ingt bolt from the recess in the bottom flange of the by ran releasing the cover plate for hinged movement on t F eyg loops of the hinge bolts for uncoveiiirggtghe hydran an s for ermitting access ii t ction riieans for a fire hydrant including outlet nozzles provided with removable caps normally clgsingt the nozzles, a cover plate extend ng above the hylran but closely spaced therefrom, hinged instrumenta1 mes; for the cover plate permanently mounted on the hy rafii and releasably securing the cover plate in substantra dy horizontal covering position above the hydrant, depgnting members secured to the cover plate and adapte o extend in front of the nozzle caps, said depending members obstructing unauthorized access to the nozzle caps when the cover plate is in covering position relative to the hydrant, while permitting access to said caps responsively to the cover plate being shifted to uncovermg pols:- tion relative to the hydrant, an actuating member for t 3 locking bolt in connection with the cover plate, an sleeve means enclosing the locking bolt for preventing unauthorized access to and damage to the locking bo t.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 468,782 Brentano Feb. 16, 1892 1,464,745 Campbell Aug. 14, 19%; 2,000,246 Neely May 7, 19

FOREIGN PATENTS 811,384 France Jan. 14, 1927 

